A Night to Forget
by Irish Princess 81
Summary: Bella and Edward have a drunken encounter the night of their HS graduation. After leaving for college, Bella learns she is pregnant but doesn't tell Edward due to a tragic event. All human.
1. The Night that Changed my Life

Chapter One: The Night that Changed my Life

Bella's POV

The day I had been anticipating for eighteen years had finally arrived. I was graduating high school. I lined up in the back of the auditorium with the rest of my classmates, anxiously awaiting the signal to begin the march to our seats. When the time came, I shuffled in behind Jessica Stanley, a silly girl I had never really gotten along with, trying my hardest not to trip on the long, blue graduation gown. Turning into my aisle I could see my best friends Alice and Edward Cullen sitting up in the front of the group.

Alice had been my best friend since the first day if kindergarten. I walked into the classroom clutching my dad's hand and this small, pixie-like girl with short black hair and blue eyes approached me, subtly bouncing up and down.

_Flashback:_

_ "Hi my name's Alice! Who are you?"_

_ "Bella," I replied while halfway hiding behind Charlie's leg._

_ "Would you like to sit with my brother and myself over at that table?" she asked while pointing to a table in the middle of the room at which I could see a boy with bronze hair sitting._

_ "That's very nice of you Alice," Charlie said. He gently pulled Bella in front of him and turned her to face him. "Go along with Alice honey. School won't be that bad, you'll see. I'll pick you and your brother up at the end of the day and you can tell me all about everyone you meet and everything you do, alright Bells? I love you…" he trailed off while giving Bella a hug and gently nudging her on her way._

_ Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the table she had indicated._

_ "This is my brother Edward," she informed me._

_ Edward was possibly the prettiest boy I had ever seen. He had messy bronze hair and the clearest green eyes._

_ "Hello I'm Edward Cullen," he said while reaching out to shake my hand._

_ "This is Bella and she's going to sit with us," Alice said in an excited manner._

_End of Flashback_.

Since that day Alice and I had been practically inseparable. My big brother Emmet called us the twins because we spent so much time together. Edward and I were another story. We had grown up just as close as Alice and I had, but now we weren't as close as we used to be. We were still good friends though, just not quite as good. He began getting a bit distant when he started dating girls. This bothered me some as I had noticed I had a crush on him shortly after he found his first girlfriend in our Freshman year.

I was brought back to the graduation ceremony when I noticed my classmates beginning to walk up to the stage and receive their diploma. Before I knew it, I was lined up at the side of the stage awaiting my name to be called.

"Bella Swan," the vice principal called out over the microphone. As I carefully walked to the principal to obtain my diploma I heard a cheer rise up from the back left side of the auditorium. I looked over and saw my dad with one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen on his face. Next to him was my brother Emmet who was cheering as loud as he could – which was actually very loud. Sitting beside Emmet was his girlfriend Rosalie, who was Alice and Edward's older sister, and next to her were Carlisle and Esme, their parents. Alice, who was already back in her seat next to Edward, was bouncing around again while clapping for me and Edward gave me his crooked grin that I loved so much.

I blushed as I reached the principal, a curse that has plagued me my whole life. I tend to blush over just about anything. I shook the principal's hand and received his congratulations before walking off the stage and back to my chair. As the remainder of the graduating class was called I sat there thinking about the party I was attending later at Alice's house. We were announced as the graduating class and threw our caps in the air and then it was all over.

Alice came bouncing/running over to give me a big hug before our families managed to make their way towards us.

"Congrats kiddo," Emmet said as he grabbed me up in one of his bear hugs. He put me down and Charlie was next to give me an awkward hug.

"Way to go Bells," he said.

We split ourselves off from the Cullens because Charlie wanted to take me out for a family dinner to celebrate before the party. We went to the Lodge, which was his favorite restaurant and one of the few good places to eat in our small town of Forks. Emmet was his usual rowdy self and could hardly wait for the party. Being Rosalie's boyfriend ensured that he would be invited to attend Alice, Edward and, yes my, graduation party at the Cullen's house. Dinner passed smoothly and the Emmet and I were on our way.

Upon entering the Cullen household Alice pulled me up to her room to fix my makeup and force me into an outfit she thought would just be perfect on me, a pastime that she lived for. An agonizing hour later I was finally deemed done. We slowly walked down the stairs in my death traps called heels and over to the bar. I usually did not drink a lot and it would not take much for me to get nice and buzzed - that's all I was looking for, a nice buzz. After my third shot I was on the dance floor bumping and grinding with my best girl when I look over to Em to see him mouthing for me to slow down. Two more shots later and I was dancing with Mike Newton, a classmate of ours. He pulled my hips close to him rocking back and forth in time with the bass.

I turned my head to see Edward going over to the bar time for shot number six. As I walked over I fell into him, my face coming into contact with his hard chest. Boy I love his chest… Lust shot through me but I was able to contain it and get myself another shot. Tequila shot basics: salt, lick, shot. I look over to Edward and pull him onto the dance floor. I honestly didn't know where this boldness had come from, but I didn't really care.

"Dance with me Eddie," I slightly slur. We made it to the dance floor and started moving to the beat.

The music was jumping and our hips were rolling with the bass line, and as I rub my ass up against him I feel his very, very prominent erection. He grasps my hips and turns me around to face him. All I see at first is his smoldering green eyes. Eyes I could get lost in. Eyes I was easily and willingly getting lost in.

"Bella," he purred while gently grinding himself into me.

"Yes?"

"Upstairs now!!!" he said against my ear.

With that I found myself being pulled through the Forks High School students in attendance. In his room he pushed me up against the door and began kissing my neck and trailing down to my breasts. He took his hand and slid it up my skirt, taking his fingers and running them fiercely along my wet panties.

"You want me don't you Bella? I can feel how wet you are for me," he purred. "Tell me Bella… Tell me what you want."

"You," I respond without hesitation. "I want you."

And with that he slowly pulled down my panties and moved me over to the bed. He slipped one finger in side of me slowly moving it back and forth. He slid another finger inside of me, moving faster and faster until I found a quick release. With one more kiss he pulled his fingers out of me, pulled down his pants and boxers, laid on top of me, and he thrust himself inside of me.

"Fuck Bella!" he moaned. "How could you not tell me that you had never had sex before?"

I looked up at him and told him it was ok just to give me a second. I wiped the tear from my eye and told him to go on. And with that in one drunken night I lost my virginity. I now know three things: first, whoever said it did not hurt lied; second, whoever says that they came the first time they did it lied; and third, I was more in love with Edward than ever before. This night changed my life forever.


	2. Mistake

**I forgot to add this to the last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters therein. Stephanie Meyer owns it in all it's glory.**

Chapter Two: Mistake

Bella's POV

I woke up feeling a pounding in my head. I groaned lightly and rolled onto my side before opening my eyes. I was lying in a big bed which was far too comfortable to be my bed at home. I tried to remember last night but all I remember was taking some tequila shots and then the rest is a blur. I know I was at Alice and Edward's house for the party, but this wasn't Alice's room that I was in. I looked next to me and my heart stopped for a minute.

Lying next to me was Edward himself! I then realized two things: one, I was in Edward's room lying in his bed with him next to me; and second, I was naked and was assuming he was too.

What the hell did we do last night? Well since I was lying here naked I had a good idea of what we had done, but still. How could we have done that? He had a girlfriend for crying out loud! Bree would flip if she knew!!! Oh my God how could I have sex with one of my best friends?!? This is bound to change our friendship entirely. I don't want to lost him as my friend… Is there any way I can salvage this? Maybe he was so drunk he won't remember. I just have to get out of here before he wakes up… And so I grabbed my clothes and dashed into Edward's bathroom to dress before running like my life depended on it.

Edward's POV

Damn my head…

I hear the buzz of my cell indicating that I had one new text.

**To: Edward **

**From: Bree **

**Hey baby sorry I missed the party. How do you feel?**

**From: Edward **

**To: Bree **

**Party was rocking I miss you… wish you didn't have to go out of town so fast. My bed was cold. And my head is killing me!**

I roll over and smell a scent on my bed: strawberry and freesia. Who the hell slept in my bed?

**To: Bree**

**From: Edward **

**I am going to burn my bed… someone slept in it last night. We are going to La Push talk to you later baby.**

Walking up to the beach I see the gang already getting ready to party. My sisters and Bella are setting up the pit for later. Bella… Oh shit Bella! It was Bella in my bed, and it was with me. Maybe I can just take off before she sees me. I turn to walk away thinking I will send Rose a text telling her that I am not feeling well.

"Edward. EDWARD!" damn the pixie saw me. I am stuck now. As I walk up I decided that I need to talk to Bella. She has to know that I am in love with Bree and that last night should never have happened.

Bella's POV

Later that day I headed up to La Push beach with Alice to attend the bonfire/barbeque that pretty much everyone in our class, hell in the school, was likely to attend. I knew the party last night would be one of the biggest topics of conversation being held that night, and I was still trying to forget the majority of the night. I wanted to forget what Edward and I had done and what it was like to wake up in bed next to him.

Alice wouldn't stop bugging me about the party. She was insistent on learning what happened when I disappeared since she knew I didn't drive home with how messed up I was. There was just no way I was going to tell her. I mean, what would I have said, 'Hey Ali I ended up sleeping with your brother, but we were both _really_ drunk and I sincerely hope he doesn't even remember, especially not the part where he realized it was my first time…' I just stayed silent and endured her pouting and demanding an answer, both of which was pure torture for me.

"Come on Bella! What happened?" she tried yet once again. "I was dancing with Tyler and then the next thing I know you were gone! I looked for a bit but couldn't find you anywhere. Emmet said there was no way you left, but he was kind of drunk himself and all over Rosalie so I figured maybe he just didn't notice. Tell me!"

"Nothing big Ali," I told her, quickly trying to come up with something that would get her off my back. "I just went upstairs and passed out in one of the guest rooms, that's all." We took the last turn leading us to the beach and I saw a few other people setting everything up and jumped on the chance to drop this painful subject.

The day was going well enough and I was able to divert my thoughts for a while when I saw him arrive. He looked over to me and I saw plain shock with a dawn of realization look on his face before I dropped my gaze. I saw Edward walking up to me on the beach and braced myself. I was hoping this wouldn't happen but since there's no convenient place to hide I guess I have to deal with it.

"Bella lets take a walk," he said, not meeting my eyes. These were words I never wanted to hear in that tone. I know that this will end badly. As we walk I get to hear him tell me how much he loves Bree and that last night should not have happened. It was a mistake. It was a huge mistake.

I know it was a mistake, for both of us, but that doesn't stop his words from hurting me. I have loved him for a few years now and whether we were drunk or not, I still offered myself to him. Yes, it was a mistake, as he kept saying, but he was still my first lover and the fact that all I was hearing from him was about our 'mistake' did not do anything to help me out. I gave him myself, yes in a very drunken state, and yes it should not have happened what with him being involved with Bree and all, but that doesn't change things and he was breaking me in half with his speech.

I had six more weeks before I was to leave for the University of Texas all the way down in Austin. But as my old truck heads down the highway back to Forks after the beach party, I know that I can't stay here I can't look at him with her, both of them so in love, when I was just a "mistake." Pulling in to the chief's parking spot, I go in and write a note to Charlie and Em. I pack my bags and laptop and head to Texas, hoping to start fresh with the next portion of my life. Hoping to forget Edward Cullen and the night we shared that never should have happened.


	3. Longhorns and Booties

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything about it.**

Chapter 3: Longhorns and Booties

Bella's POV

I spent the next three weeks with my mom in Phoenix pretty much hiding out. Luckily we have caller ID and I was able to avoid all calls from Alice. The pain that I felt was ripping me apart. My mom grew suspicious when I only took certain calls from home – those from Charlie or Emmet – but she pretty much left me alone about it. She thought I would come to her with whatever was bothering me when I felt the time was right. Charlie was hurt that I had left Washington so abruptly with only a note behind and Emmet was pissed at me. I tried convincing both of them that my decision was based on a sudden urge to visit mom that I just couldn't deny but I'm really not sure how much they believed that. I know Emmet didn't believe that and was trying to figure out what cold have happened. My luck held out though as Edward apparently never mentioned our encounter.

I was able to get in to my dorm room at the University of Texas in Austin early, so I spent the next two and a half weeks before the beginning of term in Texas. This time was spent visiting small towns around Austin, including checking out San Antonio and touring the Alamo and McNay Art Museum. I quickly learned that the myths of people living in Texas were false. Not everyone there had big hair, wore cowboy garb or rode horses. It wasn't the Wild West most Northern people thought that it was. The sun was often shining and the warm temperatures reminded me of Phoenix but I was already starting to miss the lush greenery of Forks.

As time passed I began to feel tired more and more often. I felt that I could sleep almost all day, which was odd for me since I had always been an early riser and got no more than the usual amount of sleep per night. The time came for me to attend my orientation and I woke up feeling sick to my stomach. I figured I must have a bug or maybe even the flu so took some over the counter medication and headed off to the room orientation was set to meet in since there was no way I could miss this or the tour of this large campus.

"Okay if your last name starts with A through G, over here in this group. This will be your student leader for the day," an official looking man with a clipboard called out over a bullhorn, pointing to a girl standing in the front of the room. "H through M over here," he said while gesturing to a boy standing off to the left of the first group. "N through R, please go with this young woman here," he pointed out a girl standing in the center of the room. "And S through Z right here," he indicated the area in which he stood where there was a nice looking guy standing in the back.

"Hi everyone my name is Jasper Whitlock and I will be your student guide today. I am Sophomore here. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to voice them. If everyone is ready let's begin the tour," said my leader. He briefly told us a little bit about himself, including that he was from East Texas and that UT was just about the best school ever. He had a thick Southern drawl that reminded me of Matthew McConaughey with wavy honey-blond hair and some of the bluest eyes I have ever seen. There was just something about this guy that made me think I could tell him anything.

We broke for lunch around noon and Jasper asked if he could sit with me. I readily agreed, eager to make a potential new friend, and we spent the next hour talking and laughing and sharing stories of our past and our homes. He was a really nice guy and almost as funny as Emmet. Seemingly way too early it was time to get the tour back under way.

We were wrapping it up and heading back to the building we all met in when I pulled a typical Bella move. Yes that is what my family and friends call it when I trip over thin air or my own feet. I plummeted towards the ground and without thinking put my hands out to brace myself, which is something I should know better than to do by now. My palms connected with the ground and I heard and felt a sick snap in my left wrist, a sound I was sadly all too familiar with.

"Bella!" Jasper called out as he rushed to my side. He looked so concerned. "Are you ok?"

"Mostly, yes. Though I do believe I broke something in the fall," I replied, wincing from the pain.

"Here let me take you to the ER," he asserted in a very authoritative voice. I allowed him to help me up and escort me to his car. Usually I would have insisted finding my own way to the hospital and taking care of everything on my own, but I really didn't know where the nearest hospital was and I was really in a good bit of pain. So I let him take me. We pulled up to the hospital and Jasper guided me into the emergency room.

After going through the usual triage and basic information stages I was shown to a room to wait more and Jasper and I went back to telling each other stories from our past. I was laughing at a story he had just told me when a nurse came in and took my medical history. When she asked if there was a chance I could b pregnant I halted and all traces of laughter died from my face.

"No… Well there was this one time but… Um…" I answered as I could feel the blush heat up my cheeks. I realized Jasper was sitting not far from me and could hear everything we were saying so my blush became ever fiercer and by now my whole face was red.

"When was your last menstrual cycle?" the no-nonsense nurse asked in a brisk tone.

"Well…" I tried thinking back and suddenly realized that I hadn't had one yet this month or in July either. The last period I remember having was in June. I told her this information in a hushed voice as I realized the implications. For all I knew I could in fact be pregnant after all. I could feel all color drain from my face as this hit me and I told the nurse when my last cycle was. I swear the whole world had stopped spinning and I was trapped in this moment.

The nurse marked the information down on my chart, had me pee in a cup and told me the doctor would be in soon to talk to me. Jasper grabbed my hand and tried to soothe me since he could see how distraught I had become.

"Calm down Bella you don't know anything for sure yet."

The doctor came in and told me how we would proceed with getting x-rays carefully in case I was expecting and we went ahead and obtained images of my wrist. As I suspected it was indeed broken. He went about setting the break and putting me in a cast while we waiting for the results of the pregnancy test. He couldn't give me any pain medication until we knew for sure. If I was in fact pregnant then he didn't want to give me anything that could potentially hurt the baby. I could barely keep still. I kept fidgeting and praying. _Please God don't let me be pregnant. I swear I will be a better person and I promise to NEVER have sex again. Please, please…_

I sat there tensely with Jasper rubbing the back of my right hand trying to calm me down. Nothing would work to calm me until I had the results, but I didn't bother telling him that. What seemed like hour probably only took about forty-five and then the nurse from before was heading towards the room in which I sat, petrified of the news she was bringing me.

"Congratulations Mom and Dad," she said with a huge smile covering her face.

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**I would like to say thank you to my wonderful co-writer and best friend dax3088 :D**


	4. Cliche

**I do not own these characters. Stephanie Meyer owns them along with all else Twilight.**

Chapter 4: Cliché

Jasper's POV

I was sitting in the emergency room with Bella, a girl I had met earlier today during the campus tours. We sat together for lunch and spent the time telling stories and laughing. This girl was something else. She had some of the funniest stories and a bunch of antics about some guy named Emmet – oh right, she said that was her brother. I could easily see Bella and I being good friends.

At the end of the day she fell and though she broke her wrist so I insisted on driving her to the hospital. I couldn't just leave her hurt to find her own way there. And I think she only let me take her because she is new here and doesn't know where much is in the city. We got to the hospital and went through all the normal triage and information stages and then a nurse asked Bella if she could be pregnant. I was kind of surprised when Bella wasn't sure how to answer that question.

A little bit later she was taken for x-rays and I sat in the room waiting for her return, thinking about why Bella would seem so upset over the possibility of being pregnant. The timing must have sucked, yeah, but maybe it was because of something else. Maybe her and her boyfriend had broken up right before she moved here and that's why it bothered her. Oh God. I hope she wasn't raped! Ok calm down… I'll just ask her about it when we know for sure.

Shortly after Bella got back from having the x-rays taken the doctor came in to fix her in a cast for her wrist. I wanted to offer her some sort of support during all this, but all I could really do was hold her hand. The staff still had not come in to give Bella the results of her pregnancy test though. So we sat there for a while longer before a nurse came in with a big smile on her face. Oh no… I glanced over at Bella and she grew pale again.

"Congratulations Mom and Dad," the nurse said while still smiling at us. Wait, did she just say…?

"Oh no, we're not together," Bella told the nurse while tears formed in her eyes. The nurse's smile faltered and she asked Bella if she was alright, to which Bella did not respond. The nurse then told us the doctor would be back in shortly to give Bella some information.

"Are you alright?" I asked Bella when the nurse had left.

"No, not really," she replied.

"Want to talk about it?" I offered.

"Later. I just want to get out of here," was her answer. So I left it at that for now and we waited for the doctor to come back.

Bella's POV

Oh my God the nurse just told me I was pregnant. It felt like I had gone numb all over and time had stopped. I'm pretty sure my heart stopped as well. What was I going to do? Wait, she said 'Mom and Dad' didn't she?

"Oh no, we're not together," I told her while gesturing to Jasper who was still keeping me company and giving me support. What must he be thinking? He meets this girl and they talk and have fun, then she falls and hurts herself like a clumsy idiot and then it turns out she's pregnant. The nurse said the doctor would be back in shortly with some information for me. Can't I just leave?

"Are you alright?" Jasper asked me. Was I alright? In what universe would I be alright?

"No, not really," I managed to answer him. He then asked if I wanted to talk about this, but I told him we could talk later. I really just want to get the hell out of this place. For the next while I sat absorbed in my own thoughts.

My God this whole situation was so cliché. I am now a walking textbook example of and after school special. Let's see… went to a party – check; got drunk – check; had unprotected sex – check; got knocked up – check. I think God must hate me. I know I shouldn't have been drinking and I should not have slept with another girl's boyfriend, but did I really have to become pregnant after my _first time?_

Obviously I knew who the father was, but should I tell him? Yes, it would be _right_ for him to know – it is his child as well after all. But what would I say? 'Hey Edward, how's your summer been? Oh hey, do you remember the graduation party? Well remember how you and I kinda got it on during the party? Well guess what? Because of that interlude I am now carrying a baby and it's yours!' Yeah I'm sure that would go over well.

There was always the option of aborting the pregnancy, but could I really do that? Yes it's a bad time what with me just starting college and moving away from home, yes it would be very inconvenient, yes I would likely be gossiped about by people I don't even know yet, and of course there was the fact that I had no idea how I could tell this all to Edward, but could I really have an abortion? Kill an innocent child because I was stupid and got drunk one night and then had the sex? I really don't think I can do that.

That left the options of adoption or keeping the baby. I might be able to do adoption… Have the baby and then give him or her to a happy family that will provide for the child and raise him/her in a loving environment. But that brings up the question of whether or not I could give birth to my child and then give him or her up. I just don't know…

As I was sitting going over all these options like a carousel going round in my head, the doctor came back in and interrupted my thoughts.

"Ms. Swan. Ms. Swan?"

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I snapped back into the present time and place.

"I have some information here that might be useful for you," the doctor said while glancing at the papers he held. "First off, your baby is due March 12. This is a list of medications that you should not take unless told otherwise by an OB/GYN," he said handing over the first paper he was holding. "And this is a list of foods you should avoid," he gave me the other paper. "Now I recommend that you make an appointment with an OB/GYN soon to get a sonogram performed. That doctor will then give you further instructions and precautions."

Edward's POV – middle of summer

Well my summer was going just great so far. I broke up with my girlfriend, spent endless amounts of time in what others called stuck in my own head, would drive around pointlessly with nothing to do but think, and so on. I was glad school started next month. Maybe then I could concentrate on something else other than how much my life sucks right now.

The night of the graduation party was the last night I really remember having a lot of fun. Partying with my classmates and friends, drinking, dancing, all that. Then of course there was… no, not thinking about that. It doesn't mean anything anyways and she's gone now so why bother. I sighed as my mind played back over the summer so far.

Alice was all upset because Bella had left without even saying goodbye. Well I was kind of upset about that too, but understood why she wouldn't want to tell me anyways. It would have been pretty awkward. But Alice keeps switching between sad and angry because apparently Bella won't answer or return her calls and texts now that she's gone. The last time any of us saw Bella was the night of the bonfire. The night I told her over and over again that what we did was a mistake and how much I was in love with Bree. I sighed again as I made a left-hand turn and continued with my drive to nowhere in particular.

Of course I broke up with Bree within two weeks after that. It just didn't seem right to stay with her after I had slept with someone else. Of course I never told Bree about that night with Bella. But I kept thinking about it, and, of course, about Bella. I couldn't help it… That night just kept replaying itself in my mind. The way she felt against me dancing, the way she tasted when we kissed, the sounds she made, the way it felt to be inside her… Even now I couldn't stop thinking about those things…

All of a sudden I was brought out of my internal thoughts by the loud sound of a horn honking. I looked up and saw a set of headlights zigzagging across the road in front of me and hit my brakes. As I saw it coming closer all I could do was say "OH SHIT!!!"

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**Once again I would like to say thanks to dax3088 for co-writing this story with me. I would also like to thank those of you who have left such kind reviews :D**


	5. Nine Months

**** I do not own anything Twilight :(**

Chapter 5: Nine Months

Bella's POV

That afternoon that I found out about the baby was a bit of a blur to me. I was in quite a shock. I remember being released from the emergency room and Jasper taking me back to his condo because he didn't think I should be alone. I was just moving on autopilot. I know I cried a lot and he just held on to me through it all. He didn't force me to come right out and talk about it, which I very much appreciated.

The next few weeks went by also on autopilot. I ate, slept, went to class, all the things I absolutely needed to do. I spoke to no one about the pregnancy, not even Jasper. And he let me have my space. He would drop into my dorm room to check on me often, but he never pushed me to talk about things. He had become my lifeline so fast, then again I had a feeling we would be great friends on that first day when we sat at the lunch table talking and laughing. When I needed to cry, Jasper was there to hold my hand and tell me everything would work out. When I was too busy or distracted to get or make food, he would force me to stop and convince me to eat. I would have been a complete wreck without him.

About three weeks after we found out, Jasper picked me up after my Friday classes and took me to his house so we could 'talk' as he said. I was nervous – I figured he would want me to tell him anything I had decided on and how I came to be in this state. As much as I really did not want to deal with either topic, I had to eventually and he had been such a good friend to me, so I went along easily. When we got to his place, Jasper sat me down on the couch, sat next to me and grabbed my hand.

"Bella…" he began. "I know you haven't wanted to discuss this… And I've tried to respect your wishes on it… But it's about time we went over everything."

I took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "Where do you want me to start?"

"How about the beginning?" he suggested while letting out a brief snicker.

"Well it was the night of my graduation when this happened. I was at a party at my best friend's house and had a little too much to drink…" I trailed off.

"Ok… And…?"

"I started dancing with this friend of mine, Edward… I'd had a thing for him for a few years by that point and, as I said, I'd been drinking… Well one thing led to another and then we were up in his room doing…" I glanced at him while I felt my face turning a bright red. "Well you know…" Jasper coughed to cover a laugh and encouraged me to continue. "See he had a girlfriend at the time, she just wasn't able to attend the party. And neither of us thought about it that night. But it was wrong for us to do what we did since he was taken… Um, could I have some water, please?"

I was about to tell him about the next night but I had to take a breath. I didn't like thinking about that night. While Jasper was getting my water I took a few much needed breaths to calm myself. This was the hard part – remembering all he said to me that night. Jasper came back, handed me the glass and resumed his comforting and encouraging position next to me. He stayed silent to let me collect myself before continuing.

"The next night we all went to a bonfire down at the reservation near our town. I was hoping to avoid Edward so that we could try to not have any awkward moments between us. I really didn't want to lose him as a friend and I didn't want to hear about his regrets of the previous night's activities. But as my luck would have it he came up to me and asked me if we could talk. So I went off with him some and got to hear all about how what we did was this huge mistake and how much he loved his girlfriend, all of which I already knew…" I had to pause to when Jasper handed me a tissue. I hadn't even realized I was crying – that's how wrapped up I was in my memory. "Yes I knew what we did was a mistake and all, but seeing as it was my first time I really didn't want to hear as much from the guy. I didn't regret that it happened, just the fact that it happened when he was with someone and the potential loss of our friendship. Of course part of me hoped he would tell me how great it had been and how much he wanted to be with me now," I was stunned to reveal. I hadn't even really admitted that much to myself, though part of me knew it was in there. "But that's not how things went down. So I did my best to not let him know how much it all affected me and we parted ways. That night when I got home I came to the conclusion that I couldn't stay there anymore. I couldn't be there all summer watching him with his perfect relationship while I was in constant agony, so I went to spend a few weeks in Phoenix with my mom before heading here."

"Wow," was all Jasper could really say. He wrapped me in a tight hug and rubbed my back while murmuring comforting words in my ear. "So," he asked while pulling back from our embrace. "What do you plan to do now?"

I sighed again as I wiped my cheeks dry on the tissue he had handed me earlier and thought for a moment.

"As much of a shock as this is, abortion is out of the question for me. It's not the baby's fault that he or she is being born," I began. "Also, I can't bring myself to kill something that is part myself and part Edward, regardless of how much of a 'mistake' it was for us to sleep together."

"Okay, that's good. That's a good start," Jasper reassured me. "Have you given any thought to adoption?"

"I have…" I hedged. "I just don't think I could do that. I do not believe I can carry this child for nine months, give birth to him and just give him away. I know that might sound slightly irrational. I have given the idea a lot of thought. Yes, it might be better for him to be with a family – people who are older and have stable jobs and homes and can provide for him better. But I can't give up my baby Jazz," I released in a rush while fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Alright Bella but how do you plan to go to school and have a kid? Where will you live? The housing department won't let you stay in the dorms with a baby…"

"I know. And I will figure it all out. But I am keeping my baby," I vowed. My eyes must have burned with the righteousness I felt in saying this because Jasper just nodded.

"Alright, I'll help you figure it out."

"Jasper, no. This is my problem. You've already helped out so much and I don't want to burden you with my life's complications. I'm sure you have enough of your own to deal with and you don't need to take on mine."

"Don't worry about it. I'm good at finding solutions," he smiled at me. "Plus I'm your friend and I want to be that baby's Uncle Jasper." At this I couldn't help but smile. I kissed his cheek as a thank you.

"Thanks Jazz. You mean so much to me."

"Bells, what about this Edward? Are you going to tell him about the baby?"

"I should… I just don't know how to tell him…" I vocalized my fears at this point. "What do I say, 'hey Edward it's me, Bella. Remember what happened at the graduation party? Well I know this is gonna suck for you since you're so in love with Bree but I'm pregnant and you are the father.' What if he flips out? Okay well I know he's likely to flip out. But what if he doesn't believe me? What if he…" I trailed off when Jasper covered my mouth with his hand.

"One step at a time Bella. First off, you left in what, June? And it's now September. Maybe he's not even with that girl any more. And so what if he is? He has a right to know that he helped to create a child."

"I know, I know. Okay… I'll call him this week. I just need to work out what to say and all. But I promise, by the end of next weekend he'll know."

The rest of that weekend Jasper and I spent discussing options and working out my 'plan of attack' as we called it. I decided that I would stay in my dorm until the end of the semester, and from that point I would get my own place. Of course this meant I would need to find a job pretty much ASAP, but Jasper was going to help me find one. He suggested that I move in with him next semester so that he could be around and help me out during the end of the pregnancy and after the baby was born. I was very reluctant to accept this offer as it would put so much strain on him – this guy I didn't even know three months ago that was rapidly becoming one of the most important people in my life. He had already become like a brother to me in the short amount of time I had known him. Eventually I caved and agreed to take one of the spare rooms in his condo. He also told me that in no way would I pay rent. Of course I argued with this but he overruled me by saying he didn't even pay rent because the condo was bought by his parents and was completely his. He did, after much negotiating, agree to let me help out with the bills though. By Monday morning we had many of the details worked out.

I spent the next week attending all my classes, doing homework, hanging out with Jasper (of course) and trying to figure out what I would say to Edward. I also had my first appointment with the OB/GYN this week to find out how the baby was and how everything was going. I would keep my word and call Edward by this weekend, I just still didn't know what to say…

*************

The remainder of my pregnancy passed rather normally, at least that's what people told me. I had made two new friends during the last semester named Angela and Ben. They were good people that were exceedingly nice, we just weren't as close as Jasper and I were. I gave up my dorm room at winter break like Jasper and I had worked out and moved in with him. We didn't crowd each other unnecessarily because there was more than enough room in the condo for both of us, even though I was roughly the size of at least two people by now. I had my own room and, much to my dismay, so did my unborn baby. I was more than willing to share my room with the baby, but Jasper told me that was ridiculous since there were three bedrooms available. So we put together a nursery, which ended up being a ton of fun for both of us. We argued over themes and patterns and finally settled on something neutral since I refused to learn the sex of the baby before I gave birth.

This semester I was only attending classes part time so that I could have the baby and not feel quite as swamped. I worked it out and as long as I made up for the missed hours during one of the summers, I would still graduate on time. I also had a job at this bookstore just off campus. They had absolutely no problems with the fact that I was pregnant and would need some time off when the baby came. The manager had said we would work it out when the time came. I loved my job. Being an English major, I had an obsession for books and stories. This really came in handy and helped me become – as my boss put it – 'invaluable' to the store.

Jasper had been wonderful throughout my pregnancy. He went with me to most of my doctors appointments. We were closer than even Emmet and I had ever been. The only person I knew that could rival Jasper in my 'family' was Alice. God I missed Alice every day… She had stopped trying to reach me long ago.

I still hadn't told Edward about the baby yet. Yes, I know, I promised to tell him long ago. But I had a very justifiable reason in not revealing my condition. See it came down to this: he didn't remember.

_Flashback_

_I took a few deep, calming breaths and picked up the phone. I was trying the Cullen's house line this time since I was never able to get through on Edward's cell phone. I just hoped Esme or Carlisle answered…_

"_Hello."_

"_Hi, could I please speak with Edward?" I asked while hoping my voice didn't convey my nerves through the phone line._

"_He's not here… Bella?"_

"_Alice?" I was stunned. I didn't know what to say._

"_Bella what the HELL?!?!?!" Alice shrieked. "What in God's name happened to you? You disappeared right after graduation with only a note left FOR YOUR DAD!" She continued ranting at me and I tried to get some words in edgewise but she was not going to stop until she had her say. "No one's heard from you in months and just out of the blue you decide to call MY BROTHER? Why didn't you answer any of my calls?!?!? What, been too busy at UT to talk to an old friend?" she now sounded like she was going to cry…_

"_Alice," I finally managed to get through, "things have been… different… for a while now. I know I hurt you by leaving and I'm so, so sorry. I just had to go. I can't explain it to you right now, but I really needed to talk to Edward about something."_

"_Well he's not here."_

"_I've tried calling his cell but he never answers. Is there another number where I can reach him? Or could you have him give me a call when you see him next?" I really needed to get this over with and tell him – before I lost my nerve again._

"_Well Bella… I can't tell him that…"_

"_Aw come on Alice! It's important to me! Please?"_

"_No, and it's not because I'm mad at you. You see Bella, Edward had an accident back in July…" she trailed off here._

"_Oh my God Alice! Is he okay?"_

"_He was driving around and was hit by a drunk driver. His car rolled a few times and, well, when we got to the hospital he wasn't in the best shape. He had some cuts and bruises… But the biggest problem was that he had amnesia. He cannot remember anything that happened in the six months before the accident. The last thing he remembered was going back to Forks High after Christmas break. The doctors tell us it should be temporary, but they can't be sure. Even Dad says it's possible he might not regain all of that time he's lost…" Alice cried over the phone._

"_I… I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry Alice. I should have been there for you, for all of you…" guilt washed through me as I thought about all the pain my friends and extended family must have been going through._

"_Yes, you should have. But you weren't…" her voice grew hard. "I have to go Bella. I hope you enjoy college."_

_I hung up the phone in shock. Edward had been hurt. Edward didn't remember. How could I tell him about his unborn child when he wouldn't even remember the night we created him. What was I supposed to do now?_

_End of flashback_

I didn't know if Edward had regained his lost memories. I didn't call Alice again and I stopped trying to reach Edward. Whenever I called home, we all avoided any talk about the Cullens, except the occasional mention of Rosalie by Emmet. None of my family knew about the baby either. If I told them then Charlie and Emmet would want to know who, when, where, why – all that stuff. I didn't want to lie about who fathered the baby so it was best not to say anything yet. And if word got around town then Alice would hear and she might put all the pieces together. She's really smart like that. It looked like I was going to be doing this whole baby thing on my own – well with the help of 'Uncle Jasper' of course.

I sighed and looked at my alarm clock on my nightstand. It was 10:00 Saturday morning and I should probably get up. I had some homework I should probably get to work on, and I wanted to clean up some before Jasper emerged from his room and made me sit down. Honestly, you'd think I couldn't do anything with the way he watched over me and prevented me from certain tasks. As I rolled to begin the increasingly hard task of getting myself up, I felt a twinge in my side followed by a rush of liquid between my legs and I immediately stilled. Oh my God!!! My water just broke!!!

"JASPER!!!!" I screamed from my position on the bed. I heard a thud from his room down the hall and then feet running in my direction. The door burst open and there stood a shirtless, very rumpled and scared Jasper.

"Bella… What…?" was all he could manage to get out.

"Jazz my water broke. I need to get to the hospital," I said while I felt what must be a contraction seize me and gasped.

"Right, okay," and with that he ran back out of my room I'm assuming in order to throw on some clothes. Before long he was back and helping me to my feet. "Are you in pain?" he asked with a worried tone.

"No, not at all. I'm just going into labor, why would I feel any pain?" I snapped out as another contraction hit me. "Sorry… It just hurts…" I apologized.

We managed to get to the car and then Jasper sped to the hospital. In a short amount of time I was in a room with my doctor and was being examined while Jasper held my hand and kept telling me everything was going to be great, though I think he might have been trying to assure himself of that.

"Okay it looks like you're 3 centimeters dilated Bella. We could be here a while," my doctor told me.

The rest of the birthing process is honestly very vague to me. I know I was dealing with contractions for hours before I was given an epidural to help me with the delivery. After that everything is even blurrier. More time passed, and then came the time to push, which was really hard to do. Whoever says giving birth is easy is a fucking liar. Believe me on that. It hurts like a bitch. I wouldn't say I walked through the shadow of the valley of death, but it hurt like holy hell. I don't even know how long I was pushing for. I know Jasper was encouraging me every step of the way, since I had insisted that he be allowed to stay with me. Then I remember the doctor telling me congratulations and hearing a loud wail from the baby. At 3:00 in the morning on Sunday, March 7, Masen Anthony Swan made his appearance in this world.

*************

**As always, I would like to thank my co-author on this story. I also want to apologize for the wait time between the last update and this one. It's been a busy week. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope we can have the next chapter up soon.**


	6. Years Go By

**As usual, I own nothing Twilight.**

Chapter 6: Years Go By

Bella's POV

Time passes whether we want it to or not. During that passage, both good and bad tings happen to us. The choices we make help to determine our future and who and what we have in our lives. Every little decision made can change your path, even the tiniest bit. In the past four years much in my life has changed due to one choice or another that I made along the way.

The rest of my freshman year at UT passed quickly after having Masen. I went to school part time and worked part time for the remainder of that semester, and made the classes up that summer. Let me tell you that going to school and working, all while raising a child is very hard work. There were times I was so physically, mentally and emotionally drained that I wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball on my bed and sob. But Masen really was my light. I would sit by his crib, watch him sleep and wonder how this angel had come from me. Of course that summer my dad and Emmet had bugged me nonstop about coming home to visit, but I put them off by saying I had summer courses and my job – all of which was true – so they gave up and told me how much they missed me. After that summer Masen started going to a daycare near the campus. I also met some other single mothers and we would get together a few times a month to relax, share stories, help each other out, etc.

Some people might wonder how I could get by without telling them about Masen. I am a horrible liar. If I am facing the person I am telling a lie to, there is just no way that I can pull it off. Some of my tells are that I get real fidgety, my face turns deep red and my voice cracks. I learned to control my voice and so I was now able to get away with telling lies over the phone. This is how I've managed to keep Masen a secret from my family. I also never talked to them when Masen was around. I would call after he went down for a nap or to bed, and if need be I would leave the room if he was awake. It really wasn't all that hard considering that Texas and Washington aren't exactly close, so none of us could just hop in the car and zip over to visit. Any visit would have to be planned out and arranged in advance, and I was able to stave those off.

Masen's first Christmas was amazing. Jasper wanted to go back home to see his family and insisted that Masen and I tag along. Of course my family wanted me to come home, but I told them that it was just too busy this time of year at work and there was no way I could get the time off. I was so nervous to meet the Whitlocks, but they welcomed us with open arms. Each one of them opened their hearts to us. They understood how much Jasper meant to me and what we meant to him. They quickly became my adopted family, for which we were truly and deeply blessed. I was also able to meet Jasper's long time girlfriend, Gabby. She seemed nice and all, but I really don't think she liked me. She would shoot me glares when Jasper wasn't paying attention. Masen received so many gifts that we had to arrange to ship them back to Austin. I was now halfway through my sophomore year and was working hard on my major. Thankfully I had finished all of my core curriculum classes and was able to focus on my English classes. I signed up for a few Psych courses to help with my support work, which is required to be out of your major's concentration.

Shortly after that was Masen's first birthday. I remember crying because my baby was already one. Time just flew by. Jasper and I had a party for him at the condo and invited some of the other children from the daycare (and their parents of course), my single mother's group and the Whitlocks. I had made a cake specifically for Masen to destroy by himself and we had ordered another cake to share with the guests. Masen made such a mess! Jasper and I had to hold each other up because we were laughing so hard. There was frosting all over his face, in his hair, and even some in his ears and nostrils. Of course, bath time that night took extra long, but it was worth it to see how much he had enjoyed himself.

The summer between my sophomore and junior years was the same as the previous year, without me having to take classes. I used the same excuse though to get out of going home to visit my family. They were disappointed of course, but gave in. My dad even complimented me on my hard work. I gave dating a try with the help of Jasper. He encouraged me to put myself out there and try to move my life forward, socially. He would also stay at home with Masen so I could go on a date here and there. I thought maybe the fact that I lived with another man would be taboo and make it harder to find a guy to date but no that wasn't the problem. None of the men I went out with wanted to continue seeing me once they learned I had a small boy at home. I would go home in tears and Jasper would comfort me and tell me that those guys weren't worth the time of day if they couldn't accept my little man.

The next year Masen turned two and Jasper and I decided to start the hell of potty training. It seemed like it took forever before he was fully and finally potty trained. Thank God the days of buying and changing diapers were over! School was getting harder as I got closer and closer to starting my senior year. Jasper was going crazy since it was his last semester and he was working as hard as he could in order to pass all his classes and graduate. But he pulled it off and come the end of May he was walking across that stage with the biggest smile on his face to accept his degree in History. Masen and I were in the crowd watching with the Whitlocks. They were so proud of him, as was I. Gabby, however, was not in attendance. She was upset about Jasper's decision to remain in Austin after graduating. He wanted to get a job teaching History to high school students, but wanted to remain in Austin because he didn't want to leave Masen and myself. I told him to do what he feels is right for him and apparently that's to be here. Of course, I really didn't want to see him leave us, but he has to live his life as he sees fit. I didn't want him to regret his choices. He was such a great person and I just wanted him to be happy. So he decided to stay here, and his family supported his decision – well except for Gabby of course. She chose that night to break up with Jasper, which she did by texting him. She said he had made his decision and that she always suspected there was something going on between him and myself. She couldn't comprehend that Jasper and I were just friends – ok so more like family. He was my big brother and there was nothing romantic or sexual between us. Well good riddance I say.

That summer something major happened back home. Emmet and Rosalie were getting married. Of course Emmet wanted me home to attend the wedding and all, but there was no way I could do that. I didn't want to leave Masen in Austin while I went home and there was no way in hell I could take him with me – not when all of the Cullens would be in attendance. I didn't want to ruin Emmet and Rose's big day by bringing drama upon them all. Even if I did go by myself, I wouldn't be able to keep Masen hidden regardless of him being there or not. As I said, I am a horrible liar in person. As much as it pained me to do so, I told Em that I couldn't make it. I had recently gotten promoted at work and used that as an excuse. I told him that I was putting in more hours and was just unable to get the time off. He was very upset of course, but not as upset as Rose. She called me the next day and bitched me out to kingdom come about missing my brother's wedding. She called me every name she could think of and ended with saying she wished I could be less selfish and think of my family every now and then. If only she knew just how selfish I really was…

Senior year came and I was swamped with schoolwork. My course load for my last semester was especially brutal. I was taking a Shakespeare class, a writing class, a British Lit class and my Senior Seminar class. There were a few times I was ready to call it quits and just stop going, but Jasper helped talk me down in the end. My mom, dad and Emmet were all trying to get me to help them plan a trip out here to watch my graduation ceremony, which frankly terrified me. How could I have them come watch me walk the stage when Masen would be out in the crowd? Yeah it's possible that in the size of the guests, they would never notice him, but they would want to do something to celebrate afterwards. They would want to see where I had been living and working and all that. And they would come across Masen. I couldn't let that happen. One look at my son would be all it took for everyone except my mother to know who Masen's daddy was. He had Edward's bronze hair and his eyes were the same shade of green.

Then you had his name, Masen Anthony Swan. Other than the last name, that all pointed to Edward. I chose to name him that so he could have ties to his father, even if it is in name only. Anthony is Edward's middle name and Masen, well Masen was Edward's original last name. Not many people knew that Edward had been adopted as a baby. It wasn't something he shared often, but as I had known him since such a young age, I knew the story. Edward and Rose were adopted by the Cullens when their biological parents, the Masens, were killed. Edward had been a baby and Rose was a little girl at the time, so they really didn't remember ever being apart from the Cullens, but when they were old enough they were both told what had happened.

I didn't want to deal with the anger and disappointment from my family over keeping Masen a secret all this time. My parents would be extremely hurt that they never knew their grandson existed. Em would give me hell for keeping his nephew from him. And Rose would be beyond pissed. She would have every right to be too. I was keeping her nephew from knowing her, and from knowing his father. Rose only had Edward in regards to her blood family, so I can only imagine how she would react knowing that she had a blood nephew she never knew about. And above all, I didn't want any of them knowing about my son when Edward had no knowledge of him. I know everyone had the right to know about him, but surely Edward's was the strongest.

So I did the only thing I could think of to prevent this disaster from occurring. I told my family that I was not partaking in the graduation ceremony. After listening to all of them bitch and moan, I said that walking the stage or not was my choice and I decided against it, so there was no point in all of them wasting money to come all the way to Texas since I wasn't attending the ceremony. Of course they just switched to trying to find a time they could visit me this coming summer, but again, I said I would be busy. I told them I was signed up for a program that would certify me to teach in both Texas and Washington, that way I could easily get a teaching job back home if I decided to move back. I insisted that this class would take up most of my summer, and the little bit of a break that I would get was already planned out – I was taking a trip to Mexico with some friends to party. At least the part about the program was honest…

Now I sit in the stadium vaguely listening to the speeches given by professors, guest speakers and the valedictorian of my class. Yes it is graduation day for me. I made it through college, sometimes struggling with what seemed to be the weight of the entire world, but I made it. Today I receive the credit for obtaining my Bachelor's Degree in English from the University of Texas. It has been a long and hard journey, but I am so proud to be here. On this day though, I can't help but think back over my life and some of the choices I have made.

It's been four years since I left Washington with hardly a word. Four years since I made the choice that lost me my friends since kindergarten. Four years since the graduation party at the Cullen's that resulted in me conceiving Masen – the biggest change in my life. Alice gave up trying to reach me long ago and I have not heard a thing from her since the day she told me about Edward's accident. Sitting here in a cap and gown reminds me of my high school graduation. Alice and Edward were sitting up towards the front of the graduating class and Alice kept sending me excited smiles over her shoulder and Edward would shoot me that crooked grin of his that I loved so much. I wish they were here with me now.

I look into the gathered crowd of family and friends to find my small cheering section. After about a minute of searching I find my baby, my pride and joy. He is being held by Jasper, who has come to mean the world to me over the years. Next to Jasper sits my adopted family, the Whitlocks. I smiled at them and caught Jasper's eye, then he pointed me out to Masen and my boy started waving madly to me. My row got up and moved towards the stage and the next thing I knew my name was being called. Isabella Marie Swan. This was it. All of my hard work over the past four years was finally over.

Life settled down some after graduation. I continued working in the bookstore for now since I had yet to be certified to teach. Jasper was in summer break from the school he taught at and Masen still loved daycare. Jasper and I both worked with him all the time at home to teach him things like his ABC's, his numbers, and all that kind of stuff. He could tell you his full name and even my full name. We had never done the whole baby talk thing with him, so his language skills were advanced for his age as well.

Another thing we did every night was to eat dinner as a family. The television would be turned off and no phones would be answered during this time. We focused simply on eating and conversing between each other. So when my phone started ringing one night during this time, I just ignored the call without thinking a thing about it. It was Emmet that was calling. Next thing I know my phone is ringing again, but this time its Rose calling. Funny, she hasn't had much to say to me since I missed the wedding. Shortly after that I had a call from my mother. Now I was starting to get concerned. Why would everyone call me so close together? I was excusing myself from the table to go in another room and find out what was going on when the bookstore called. I answered it and my boss told me that my mother had just called there looking for me and that I should call her back because it was urgent. So I hung up and dialed my mom, but the line was busy. Next I figured to try Emmet.

"Hello?"

"Em, what's up? Why is everyone calling me?" I asked.

"Oh Bella something awful has happened!" he cried into the phone. "You have to get back to Forks!"

Jasper's POV

We always had dinner together without the distraction of phone calls. But tonight Bella's phone kept going off, so she excused herself to find out what was going on. Masen was making a mess of his food, so I used this time to clean him up a bit before his mother came back. Then Bella returned and I swear the world changed. She walked back into the room paler than I had ever seen her.

"What's up B?" I asked, trying not to freak out Masen.

"I have to go…" she said with a faraway look on her face. "My dad got hurt and I have to be there… I have to go to Forks," she finished.

And with that we packed up what we thought we would need and booked a flight to Seattle, which was as close to Forks as we could get. I didn't ask any questions. I only hoped that everything would turn out ok.

We were able to get seats for a flight the next day. The three of us boarded the plane not knowing what the next days and weeks would bring us, and what it all would mean to ach of us both individually and together. All I personally knew was that my sister needed to get home ASAP.

We arrived at the Seattle airport in the early evening of the following day. From there we obtained a rental car (which I had requested the night before) and made our way to Forks. Bella was in no condition to drive, so I took the wheel and relied on her directions to get my sister home. About two and a half hours after landing in Seattle we pulled up to a simple, two-story house. Bella asked me to unbuckle Masen and she went on ahead into the house.

"Bells…" I heard while releasing Masen from the harness that held him in place in the car. "He seems to be stable for now…"

I placed Masen on the ground at the curb and grabbed his hand, fearing he might try to run out into the road. I guided him into the house in front of me – Bella's childhood home – and found two people waiting inside for us.

"It's been so long," I heard from the huge guy embracing my best friend. This must be her brother Emmet that she told me about. "I've missed you so mu…" he trailed off when noticing my arrival. His eyes grew huge and he swallowed numerous times before he could speak again.

"What the…Who is this?" he said while his eyes were trained on Masen.

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**Once again a thank you goes out to dax3088 for co-writing this story with me. I hope you all enjoy this chapter :D**


	7. Home Sweet Home

**As always, I cannot claim ownership to Twilight…**

Chapter 7: Home Sweet Home

Emmet's POV

Bella was back! Granted it wasn't under the best circumstances, but my baby sister was finally home after four long years. This was the first time she had come back home since leaving for Texas. I could barely contain my happiness to see her. I ran up and gave her one of the biggest hugs I could.

"It's been so long Bells. I've missed you so mu…" I trailed off when I finally noticed the two people that had come in after her. One was a tall blondish man that was holding the hand of a small boy. Upon taking a closer look at the boy I realized he looked familiar. I knew that I had never seen him before, but still – there was something familiar about him.

"What the… Who is this?" I asked, searching Bella's face and finding her looking unsure and even scared. Why would Bella be scared? She was shooting quick, pleading glances back to the man holding onto the boy. I waited for a minute but it seemed that she wasn't going to answer me. But it appeared that the boy himself would.

"Hi," he said kind of shyly. "My name is Masen Anthony Swan. Who are you?" he asked.

"Bella what the hell is going on here? Who is this kid? Why does he have our last name?" I asked, shocked and slightly angry for some reason I could not yet identify.

I looked back to the boy and saw him hiding behind the man's leg now. That must be his father. Wait, but he has our last name. I am so confused. He had reddish-brown hair and green eyes and I could see flashes of my little sister in there. _Is this_… I shook my head, trying to shake that thought clear. _Could I have a nephew?_ I wondered. I looked back to Bella and she was asking the guy to take the boy into another room. She directed him to her bedroom upstairs and asked the two of them to wait for her there. The guy gave me a calculated, considering look before asking Bella if she was sure about that.

"Look here Daddy," I sneered, about to tell this guy what was what when I was interrupted by that boy… Masen.

"He's not my daddy. That's my Uncle Jazz," he said while giggling. Then he looked up at my little sister and said "Mommy, I gotta go," while holding onto himself and doing a slight dance like I've seen children do many times. Bella directed 'Uncle Jazz' to the bathroom then watched as they made their way out of the room. I was glad to have the pair gone so I could have a little talk with Bells. Once they were out of the room Bella took a deep breath before turning back to face me.

"Isabella what is going on here? That little boy just called you mom! Do I have a nephew?" I asked, stunned and pissed. And at that point my lovely wife, who had frozen behind me when the child had walked in, came back to herself. And she was not happy.

"What the fuck Bella?" Rose screamed. "You have a son? How could you hide this from all of us? That's why you haven't come home, isn't it? You've been gone for four solid years without ever making a trip back home, not even for our wedding! And this must be why. Because you didn't want anyone to know about your slutty ways, right? My God did you even go to school? Or have you just been down in Texas whoring around and getting yourself knocked up?" Rose was trying to push past me to get up in Bella's face. This wasn't going to get any answers I realized. I kept Rose behind me so that she wouldn't go up and slap my sister and asked her to shut up for a minute.

"Bella… How old is he? How old is my nephew?" I asked, kind of afraid to hear the answer. _I have a nephew… and she never told me about him…_

"Masen just turned 3 on March 7th." She answered. Bella's eyes showed sadness, fear and shame. Her words floored me. That boy was 3 years old! And this is the first time I've heard about him! I couldn't believe this. Before I could ask her anything else or yell at her like I really wanted to do, Masen came back into the room with his 'Uncle.' Jazz, or whoever the hell he is, gave Bella a look seeming to ask if everything was alright, to which she gave a slight shrug and a nod. Who the hell was this guy and why was he pretending to be an uncle to MY nephew?!? Then she turned her attention back to me and said she was leaving to drop her things off at the hotel. After that she would go to the hospital and see how dad was doing, and she would see me later. I let her go realizing that I needed to calm myself down and gather my thoughts before confronting her about it again. Just as she was walking out the door I called her back.

"Bella… Does Renee know?" I had to know this. Bella had run off to Phoenix to be with her before going off to Texas, so maybe they had gotten close. Maybe she knew, which would really upset me.

"No," was the only answer I got before the door closed.

I couldn't believe what just happened. My brain couldn't grasp it all. First dad gets hurt and now I find out I've had a nephew for over 3 years and never knew about him. I've never felt so betrayed before. My sister, the girl I had watched over, protected, loved, helped take care of… she lied to me. Bella and I were two years apart, but we had always been really close. Our mom Renee had taken off when Bella was small, leaving us with just my dad to parent us. This was hard on all of us, but affected Bella the most. It was hard for her to grow up without her mother around often. Of course, we had gone to visit Renee a few times, but that wasn't the same as having her with us every day – or hell even every other weekend. I had always looked out for her. When other kids would pick on her in school, I was right there to make them stop and then cheer her up. When it was time for Bella to learn to drive it was me that taught her. We had dealt with everything together. Sure there were times we fought like most siblings, but those weren't as often as it seemed to occur in other families. Bella and I had just always been close. And she hid this from me. From everyone.

I had shrugged it off every time Bella said she couldn't make it home to visit. I figured she was busy living her life and dealing with going to school and holding down a job. I questioned her and tried to convince her to come, but I didn't let it bother me too much. I didn't cry or scream when she said she couldn't make it to my wedding. I was sad and disappointed, sure. I didn't cry when I got the phone call just a few days ago telling me that my dad had been shot in the line of duty and was now in a coma. But I cried now.

I had a nephew that didn't know I existed. He knew nothing about me, not even my name. Why would Bella hide this from me? From all of us? My Rosie just held onto me while I cried out this frustration, anger and pain. I don't know how long it lasted, but she held me through all of it. When I finally stopped, she dried my eyes and gave me a soft kiss.

Rosalie's POV

My poor man was so upset. After Bella left he sat on the living room floor and cried his eyes out. At this moment all I wanted to do was hurt Bella for this – for what she did to my Emmet… for what I think she did to my family…

"Hey sweetie? Did Masen remind you of anyone?" I asked sweetly as I dried his eyes. I knew that child had to be related to my brother in some way. Hell his name was Masen Anthony. That alone was a dead giveaway. "Baby, does the name Masen ring any bells for you?"

Emmet shook his head. He still had that lost look in his eyes and couldn't seem to grasp onto what I was trying to tell him.

"Masen was my last name Em. Mine and Edward's birth parent's name…" I trailed off, thinking it through. "Did Bella ever tell anyone _why_ she left so fast?"

"She left a note saying she wanted to visit Renee before heading down to Austin. She never spoke of it at all."

There had to be a connection. Granted, analyzing Masen's birthday means that there was no way she would have known she was pregnant when she left here. She would have found that out either in Phoenix or Texas. But she had to have been pregnant when she left, regardless. And she left without a word to Alice or Edward, her closest friends. Hell, she named her son after my brother. Edward has to be that boy's father… there's just no other explanation for it all – the name, the reason why she stayed gone, the hair, the eyes… I gazed into Emmet's eyes to see if he was putting any of this together, but all I saw was pain. He was hurting too much to realize the obvious truth. I needed to find out the truth behind this. And I would. If that boy was Edward's son, then bitch little Bella better watch out. Next to my husband, my brother was the most important person to me in the entire world. I needed to think. And I needed another person's input on this.

I stood and told Em I was running to the store for some groceries. He didn't question me, mostly because he knew how bare Charlie's kitchen was. Since both of his kids moved out Charlie barely spent any time here. Most of the time he was either at the station or down at the La Push reservation. And as we all knew Charlie was never the best cook in the world, he didn't keep much food stocked here. So I grabbed my purse and keys and headed out. As soon as my seatbelt was buckled and the car was started, I placed a call to my favorite sister in the whole world.

"Hey Ali, what are you up to?" I asked as soon as the phone was answered.

"Not much Rose, what's up?"

"I'm heading to the store for food and all. Wanna meet me there? I have got to tell you something and it has to be in person." And with that Alice said she would be there soon.

When I pulled into the parking lot I saw my sister was already there waiting for me. I walked up and gave her a hug, knowing what I was about to say was going to hurt her.

"Guess who came back home?" I started.

"Hey. Who?"

"Bella Swan, that's who."

"Okay. Why are you telling me this?" Alice wanted to know. I know Bella had hurt her deeply when she took off. Alice had apparently tried to contact her over that first summer, but gave up when Bella never answered or responded. "I know you're her sister-in-law and you're gonna have to spend time with her and all, but I don't need to know about it. I don't care that she's home. I don't care about what she's been up to all these years. She left me without a word. That tells me we aren't friends and I just don't care what her life is life," she justifiably ranted.

"Because she didn't come back alone. She had a good looking man with her, as well as a 3 year old boy," I informed her. Before I could explain my suspicions Alice spoke again.

"What? Bella has a kid? Whoa when did that happen."

"That's not all Alice. I think his father is from here," I took a deep breath before continuing. "I think his father is Edward. Before you say anything, let me tell you what I know about him. His name is Masen Anthony Swan and he has hair just like Edward's and the same green eyes."

"What about the guy that you said was with her? If he came back home with Bella there's a good chance he's the father," Alice reasoned.

"No I don't think so. He has blondish hair and blue eyes. Bella, as you know, is a brown/brown person. So where would this boy get his hair and eyes if not from Edward?"

"Oh my God!" Alice squealed. "That means he's our nephew! Wait a minute," she was getting angry now. "We have a nephew Rose, and Edward has a son… Esme, Carlisle and Charlie are grandparents… And none of us knew? What the HELL?" she shrieked.

"Calm down some Ali, we are in public," I reminded her. She pulled herself together and we continued working this through. "So I figure, obviously, something must have happened between Edward and Bella. Then Bella takes off and stays gone for four straight years. She didn't want to come home. She didn't want to bring Masen here…"

"Wait, wait, wait! She left knowing she was pregnant and didn't let anyone know? I mean at least Edward had a right. What a fucking bitch," she interrupted.

"Breath," I instructed. "Well Masen's birthday is March 7th and Bella left right after your graduation, so I don't think she could have known. I mean if you run the dates, she would have barely even been pregnant when she left and she just couldn't have known I don't think."

"Oh my God!" Alice screeched again. "They must have done it at the party! That's what happened when she disappeared! But wait, Edward was with Bree back then. Oh I get it. Maybe that's why she left," she said trying to figure it all out.

"Focus here Alice!" I snapped. "I don't give a fuck why the girl left in the first place. Focus on the bigger issue here: that boy is Edward's son and he doesn't even know!"

"What did Emmet say about this?" she wanted to know.

"Emmet is too hurt right now to see the facts in front of his face. He can't look past the pain to see that Masen is Edward's son."

Through the rest of the shopping trip Alice and I began to plan.

Bella's POV

I let out a deep breath when we were all strapped into the car. Jasper kept shooting me glances, but he didn't question me yet. I felt such relief pouring through me as we were heading down the road away from Emmet and Rosalie.

The silence continued until we reached the hotel. Once in our rooms Jasper pulled me aside to talk about the encounter at my dad's house.

"Bell…" he began.

"Jazz that was my brother, Emmet, and his wife, Rosalie. I've told you about them some," I trailed off, remembering the pain I saw in Emmet's eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I knew this would be hard, but I don't know. He was just so hurt. I could see it in his eyes. He was damn near devastated when he realized Masen was mine. I just… I don't know how I'm going to make this right…" I fretted.

Jasper grabbed me up in a hug and told me we'd work it out together. He was my rock. He was always there for me no matter what. Even when I was the one in the wrong, like now, Jasper always had my back. I gathered myself and then stepped back.

"Can you watch Masen for me? I need to go see my dad and I don't want Masen there. I don't want his first glimpse of his grandfather to be in there when I don't even know what I'll be walking into."

"No problem Bell. You know I'm always here to help however I can," he said while giving me a smile.

On the drive to the hospital I realized that I would have to call my mother later. I needed to tell her about Masen. She should hear about him from me before Emmet called her, not that it would make the conversation go any better. I was now questioning my decision about keeping my son away from my family his whole life…

All of these thoughts evaporated when I reached the hospital. I walked up to the information desk and requested Charlie's room number. Once the nurse gave me the information I sought, I headed to the elevator and tried to brace myself for what I was about to see. I knew Charlie had been shot while he was responding to a burglary and that he was in a coma. But that's about all I knew.

I walked into the room and saw my dad lying on the bed attached to multiple machines. I had no idea what they all did, but they must be important if they're all hooked up to him. He looked so different than I remember. My dad had always been strong and this man seemed so frail and weak. Tears were coursing down my cheeks as I moved closer, sat down next to him and grabbed onto his hand.

"Hey dad, it's me, Bells. I'm here. I finally came home. I wish it was for better reasons than to see you like this. You've got to get better dad. You have to wake up…"

*****************

**Once again, thank you dax3088 for your help with this chapter and this whole story :D love ya!!! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story, made it a favorite, and placed it or me on alert. I hope you enjoy the latest addition to the drama.**


	8. Confrontations Part 1

**I know this chapter has been a long time coming and I apologize for that. So without further ado, here is chapter 8 in our story. Once again, all things Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer.**

Chapter 8: 

_Previously:_

_I walked into the room and saw my dad lying on the bed attached to multiple machines. I had no idea what they all did, but they must be important if they're all hooked up to him. He looked so different than I remember. My dad had always been strong and this man seemed so frail and weak. Tears were coursing down my cheeks as I moved closer, sat down next to him and grabbed onto his hand._

"_Hey dad, it's me, Bells. I'm here. I finally came home. I wish it was for better reasons than to see you like this. You've got to get better dad. You have to wake up…"_

Bella's POV

I got no response, but I really hadn't expected one either. It killed me seeing him like this. My larger than life yet quiet dad was lying before me looking pale and drawn.

"Daddy…" I briefly wondered how long it had been since I had called my father that. "Please, I need you to wake up soon. You have to get better. Dad…" there was so much I wanted to say but yet very little was coming to mind. "You have to meet your grandson. He's such a wonderful little boy. I can't bear the thought that there is even the possibility that you won't get to meet him…" I took a deep breath to try and calm myself down as I was almost sobbing and had a death grip on his hand now.

"I've messed up so badly daddy. I stopped by the house and Em was so upset. I really hurt him dad, and I know all this will hurt you too. God I'm so sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing but now… Now all I can see is how much pain I've caused. Not to mention what's to come. Rose looked like she wanted to kill me. And I've just hurt Emmet so much. But when everything comes out about Masen… What am I going to do? They're all going to hate me…you are going to hate me. I kept him from them. The one thing that would mean the world to them, and I never told them. What the hell was I thinking? How could I have done this?" I was freaking out. I took another moment to try to compose myself.

"Dad you are just going to love him. He is so smart and so kind. He's so much like his dad it hurts sometimes. Jazz and I teach him at home and he just loves it. I've told you about Jasper, just not as much as I should have." For the next hour I recanted various stories about Masen and Jasper, catching my dad up in a sense. The shock of the hours since getting the phone call finally caught up with me and the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake. I opened my eyes to see none other than Carlisle Cullen standing before me.

"Bella, when did you come home?"

"Oh, um, we just got here today," I responded, rubbing my hands over my face to help wake myself up.

"We?" he inquired.

"Yes my roommate and my son came with me."

"Oh you have a son?" he sounded very surprised by this.

_Great going_, I thought. _Just walk through that door and leave it wide fucking open_. I waited for the questions to start.

"So what's his name?"

"Masen," I answered, hoping that maybe if I kept my answers short and somewhat vague it would be over faster.

"And how old is he?"

"He turned three just this past March."

"Wow," he marveled. "I can't believe Charlie and Emmet never said anything about your son."

"Well that's a bit of a long story." He nodded as if for me to continue. I needed to get off this subject and fast. I looked back to my dad and asked, "How is he?"

In response I got a lot of doctor talk thrown at me, little of which I was able to comprehend at this point. I haven't felt this drained in a long time. Masen didn't even seem to tire me out this much. I'm pretty sure my eyes even glazed over. Before I knew it Carlisle was asking me to stop off at his house soon to see Esme, making sure to insist I bring Masen with me so they could meet him, and I found myself agreeing to do this before I returned home, meaning to Texas. With a sad smile on his face Carlisle told me that I was home. After that he gave my shoulder a squeeze and left me alone with my dad again. I laid my head down on the bed beside him and cried some more.

Jasper's POV

I heard Masen start his morning chattering and decided to get up and take care of him so Bella could sleep longer. She got in really late after visiting her dad at the hospital and man was she wrecked. I haven't seen Bella this upset since she first found out she was pregnant. The poor girl was a mess over all of this. I got up figuring I'd just order up some room service for breakfast for everyone but no luck. This place didn't offer room service so that meant Masen and I would be going out for food. God I hate small towns, even if I grew up in one.

After getting both Masen and myself dressed I left a note for Bella letting her know that we were running to the diner in town to get some food and to text or call me with what she wanted if she woke up in time. With that Masen and I headed out in the rental car.

Upon entering the small restaurant, Masen and I took a booth in the back. Everyone seated in the diner seemed to be buzzing about Mr. Swan's injury and the return of his long lost daughter. I really hoped no one said anything loud enough for Masen to hear and associate the last name with his own. I didn't need to deal with what would happen if Masen said his last name and his connection to their police chief was revealed. The waitress approached us and I could just see the questions brimming in her eyes as she adjusted herself into what she probably thought was a much more alluring posture – basically she trust her chest out and tried a seductive smile. This is why I hate small towns. Everyone feels they need to know everything about everyone else. I mean fuck. Learn about privacy people!

Jessica, who was the bubbly and shamelessly flirty waitress, bombarded me with questions before taking my order. She wanted to know all about me since I just had to be visiting because she knew nothing of me and hadn't heard about anyone moving here recently, and oh I have such a cute son what's his name and where is his momma, and so on and so forth. She assumed Masen was my little boy but of course that didn't prevent her from practically throwing herself at me in front of him.

I managed to get our to-go order put in and before long I was paying for the meals and Masen and I were about to leave. As we turned towards the door Bella's sister-in-law, Rose I think her name is, walked in accompanied by the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was small and very petite looking with dark, spiky hair and had gorgeous hazel eyes. Rose stormed over to me and asked where her nephew's mother was. That's really how she phrased it. Not her sister-in-law, not Bella, just her nephew's mother. I noticed that the fairy beside her had her eyes glued to Masen and tears were forming. Her eyes were filled with pain. I nodded at Rose and told her Bella got in late after visiting her father and Masen and I went out to get breakfast while we let her sleep. The fairy made an odd noise and stalked off - she was obviously upset about something. Masen and I left the diner and I couldn't help it as my thoughts drifted back to that amazing creature that walked in the door. I wasn't sure what or who had hurt her but I really wanted to find out.

Bella's POV

I woke up and was amazed at the quietness in the hotel room. I was sure Masen would have been up by now. Upon further investigation I came across a note letting me know that Jasper took Masen to get food. I wasn't sure how long they had been gone but I figured they would likely be back shortly. Given that I had this calm moment alone before starting the day, I decided to call Renee and get it over with. This was definitely not something I was looking forward to.

_Ring…ring…_ I couldn't help but hope she wouldn't answer…

"_Hello?"_

"Hi."

"_Isabella…"_ she sounded unsure. I expected this since the last conversation we had entailed a screaming match via AT&T.

"_To what do I owe this call?"_ I could see she was going to go full on bitchy mode for this call.

"Well…" I really didn't know how to bring this up. "There's something I really need to tell you…" I drifted off, trying to compose my thoughts.

"_What is it Isabella?_

"I go by Bella, Renee." I responded without even thinking. Two seconds on the phone and we were already going at it. Why she insisted on calling me by my full name regardless of the fact that I hated being called Isabella, I will never know.

"_When you start calling me mom then I will call you Bella,"_ she quipped back. This was a long-running argument between us. I stopped calling her Mom when I was in high school because I had to act like parent all the time.

"Look Renee…" I had to take a breath to calm myself. "I didn't call you to argue about name usage. I have something to tell you something, and I know you will flip out and be pissed at me…" I trailed off and took a deep breath. Amazingly within that short stretch of unoccupied time over the phone line she managed to make things worse.

"_Oh my God you better not be calling to tell me you got knocked up…"_ I swear my heart stopped for a moment.

"No I'm not 'knocked up'…" at least not anymore, I added silently.

"_Well that's good at least. You're not finished with school yet and a baby would just ruin your life at this point,"_ she revealed.

"Okay Renee, first off – don't speak as though you know about my life. For your information, I finished school. I got my degree as well as a teaching certificate to cover both Texas and Washington."

"_What do you mean? I thought you..."_ I tuned her out at this point. I was too focused on the news I had to finally share with her that I really have no clue what she said at this point. _"…"_

"Renee," I took a deep breath "I have a son."

Silence filled the phone line. I waited a moment and still had not heard a sound. "Are you still there?"

"_You have a son…"_ her sentence sounded choked off. _"Um… how old is he?"_

"He turned 3 this past March. I found out I was pregnant after I moved to Texas."

"_I can't believe… How could you hide this from me? I'm your mother Isabella! Did your father know about this? I knew you loved him more…"_ I cut her off at this point.

"No dad didn't know, Renee. No one did." She was still off on her rampage.

"… _I think you need help Isabella. This is not normal; it's not healthy… I always knew there was something there… I mean out of nowhere you choose to live with him and then…"_ Wait a minute… She can't be thinking Charlie has anything to do with this. _"I know you think you love him, honey, but this is sick. He is your father… Maybe this is why we separated years ago… I can't believe you're slutty enough to steal your own mother's husband – your own father!"_ Oh. My. God. I can't believe she thought Charlie had anything to do with my baby boy.

"What the hell are you talking about? Charlie knew nothing. No one did." I couldn't believe the things she was spouting off and accusing me of. "First off, did you forget that you walked out on us when I was only 2? You left Dad and Em to raise me. If I remember correctly, you left us for some pothead felon that dad put away. This is why you left Dad to raise Emmet and myself. Secondly, my son is Dad's grandson just as much as he is yours, sadly. Do not slander myself and him as you just did again." I felt like a mamma bear protecting her cub at this point: I would rip anyone apart that tried to cross me.

"_What? How did I not know about this? I cannot believe your brother kept this from me! Oh my God, is it his?"_ My mother had officially crossed every boundary line and pissed me off. She must have gone off the deep end.

"Holy shit Renee, are you crazy? What kind of fucked up shit goes on in your head? I can't believe you would even consider any of that shit! What the fuck is wrong with you?" She must have gone bat-shit crazy. "No one knew I was pregnant; that's why no one told you jack," I screamed into the phone.

At that moment Jasper and my boy walked back in so I regained control of myself and decided to wrap up this call.

"Well my son just came back so I need to let you go. When you can deal with what we call reality, feel free to call me back and I will discuss this further with you." I hung up the phone before she could reply. I heard Jazz and my boy in the other room and I smiled for the first time today.

**Yet again I apologize for the long delay in updating. As always, I thank my co-author Dax for all her input on this chapter. Without her ideas, support and encouragement this chapter would not be up yet…**


	9. Confrontations Part 2

**Here is the next installment of our story. The standard disclaimer applies, as always.**

Bella's POV

I took a deep breath and let the disturbing conversation with Renee leave my mind. A second later I was walking out the door to greet my two favorite guys in the hotel living room. Jasper was setting the food out while Masen just chatted away. He was talking about everything he had seen in town so far. I couldn't blame my boy though – everything around here just looked so different from Austin. I don't think he's ever seen as much green before really.

"Mama!" Masen shouted upon seeing me.

"Hi there baby boy," I grabbed him and got in my morning snuggle before he giggled and pushed me away. "What have you gotten into this morning?"

"We got breakfast!" he exclaimed proudly as I set him back in his seat at the small table the room provided. We then settled into eating, the time spent listening to Masen babble more. Shortly after taking the last bite I heard a knock at the door. Few people knew I was here, let alone knew where I was, but I took a deep breath to brace myself. Jazz' eyes met mine, silently asking if I wanted him to deal with this. I shook my head slightly as I rose to answer the door. Pausing to take another deep breath, I opened the door to greet another piece of my past.

Alice's POV

I love living in a small town. Everyone knows everyone else. Some people hate that fact, but it certainly comes in handy at times like this. All I had to do was sweet talk Mike Newton (a little flirting, a little outright lying) and he gave up Bella's room number without a hitch. With a few choice words and bats of my eyelashes Rose and I were walking down the hallway clutching onto each other's hand.

This was not going to be a fun meeting. I really need to keep myself calm, no matter what. I can't get the answers I need if I lose my temper right away. Yelling at her would only start a fight and then we would all be sidetracked, which is not what I want. I want the answers my ex-best friend owes me. And I also can't kick her ass from here to Texas before I get those answers…

Rose and I came to the door and we both took a deep breath and tightened our grip on the other's hand before I reached up and knocked on the door. Okay, it was more like pounding on it like a cop's knock, but what can I say? I was nervous… _Stay calm… Stay calm…_ I kept telling myself as I heard someone approach the door. I heard the lock release and then the door was opening. There stood my old friend. Yet as I looked at her, all I felt was my anger and rage building. All it took was one word from her; a whispered "Ali…" and I snapped. Before I could control it my hand flew forward and I had slapped her – hard.

"Don't call me that. Only my friends call me that," as I snarled these words to her I saw the little boy from the diner (the one Rose said was Masen) cry out and run to Bella with tears already coursing down his little face. I saw anger and disapproval flash in the man's eyes as he came up to stand behind Bella. The message was quite clear: he had her back.

"Don't cry baby, Mama's okay," Bella cooed to the boy whose face was now buried in his mother's neck. She rocked him back and forth a bit while rubbing his back to calm him. I felt bad for causing my nephew distress but I just wasn't able to help that.

"But Mama, it's bad to hit. You told me that," the little boy insisted. "Why did that mean lady hit you?"

"Yes honey, it's not nice to hit. But I don't think she meant it. And she's not mean, she's just upset. I hurt her feelings and she's upset about it." Watching this interaction made me a little sad. There was my nephew (who was just adorable let me tell you) and his first impression of me is that I am mean because I hit his mother. I really should have managed to not do that in front of him. Then my attention was drawn back to Bella.

"Alright Alice I know that you hate me now. I get it. Hell, I hate myself right now. But this is not going to happen in front of my son. Also, I would rather not have this out in the hallway for the whole town to see and hear. Come in and sit for a minute while I get Masen ready to go out," and with that she turned her back on us and walked towards the bedroom.

"Alice?" Masen questioned his mom, making her stop her retreat to the bedroom. He looked at me with his eyes red from crying and I could tell the little one was appraising me. "You're the one mommy missed the most." That was the last thing I ever expected to hear. She had told him about me? And she had missed me? I felt my heart reach out a bit at this news but I managed to steel myself again. Regardless of what she's told him, I would not cave and welcome her back with open arms and a huge smile. This girl done us all wrong.

"Yes Masen this is Alice. And this other lady is your Aunt Rose. You remember me telling you about them, right?"

"Yes Mama. Alice is your fairy friend that likes to shop and Aunt Rose likes cars!" he said happily while smiling at Rose. I looked to Rose and her expression had softened upon looking at Masen. I could see the tears forming in her eyes. "But Alice, it's not nice to hit." He told me sternly.

"That's alright baby. Mommy still loves her and forgives her," I rolled my eyes at that. "Come on, let's get you ready to go play." She headed back to the bedroom and turned briefly to catch the attention of the man that was still staring at us with fire in his eyes. "Jazz, please…"

In the next minute Rose and I were left alone to enter the room and make ourselves as comfortable as possible. We sat there in complete silence waiting for their return. About ten minutes later I heard the bedroom door open and all three trooped back out. At the door Bella gave Masen a hug and kiss, told him to have fun and be good, and handed him over to that Jazz guy. It took a look from Bella that I couldn't interpret before the guy bent and brushed his lips over Bella's cheek before telling her that he wouldn't be far. Bella closed the door behind them, took a deep breath, then turned to face us.

"Thank you for that," she started, but I cut her off.

"I did it for that little boy, not for you," I spat at her. Wow, so not going well with the temper thing so far. _Alright Alice, organize your thoughts and let's get this show started_.

"So, what's his name?" I began

"I named him Masen Anthony Swan," she responded.

"Swan?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes, Swan. You know, my last name," she sassed back.

"What you didn't think he deserved to have his father's last name?" this angered me.

"No. I didn't want to explain to a small boy why my name was different than his," she said calmly. "This isn't something that you can easily explain away Alice. You don't know how it was. How it is…"

"Then tell me how it is. Really. I would like to know what the hell the deal is because from where I am it doesn't look good. It looks like you slept with my brother, got pregnant, fled town and didn't have the decency to tell him, or the rest of us for that matter. For God's sake your own father and brother didn't know!" I had to pause to try to calm myself once again.

"It's not like that Alice. I didn't know I was pregnant when I left. I wouldn't just take off like that if I had known. You know me better than that."

"No, I don't think I know you at all. I could never imagine the person I had known doing something like this."

"Alice," and this is where I broke. All the thoughts running through my head starting spilling out in a word-vomit type, falling from my lips with little rhyme or reason.

"God you had us all fooled! Thinking you loved us all like family! My family accepted you like their own! How could you just take off like you did? Do you know what you did to them? What you did to me? My mom and I cried for days because of your sudden departure. You were like a sister to me and then one day you just take off, leaving behind a short note that told us nothing! In the beginning I would go crying to Em to hear about what you were up to and he would tell me all about this great life you had in Texas. Then I would go home and cry my eyes out again. I couldn't understand what any of us did to make you go like that. Finally I gave up. I stopped trying to call you; stopped asking about you. And then I started to hate you," I stopped here because my breath was coming in pants and I felt as though I was about to lose it and hit her again. After a moment I tried again.

"Every holiday your dad would be so hopeful that this time you would make it home, only to be shattered every time you called with some excuse. Then Em and Rose decided to get married, and everyone thought you would come home for sure. But no. You couldn't be bothered to make the trip home for your own brother's wedding. Do you know that he almost called it off? He wanted his baby sister to be there, but no. You were too busy living it up in Texas and apparently hiding what you had done. I want to know why! Why did you leave? Why did you hide? Why didn't you tell any of us we had a nephew; that Edward had a son? TELL ME WHY!" by this point I was standing in front of where she sat and screaming at her. She sat there with tears coursing down her cheeks and looking at me with this broken expression. The sight just pissed me off more. "TELL ME! Why the hell did you keep that boy from us?"

"I tried Alice! I called. I was scared out of my mind, but I knew I had to do it. I wanted Edward to be the first to know, so I worked up the courage to call your house. Remember Alice? Remember you screaming at me? Remember telling me you refused to have him call me? And that's when you told me about the accident," she trailed off at this point and I had to interject again.

"Once, Bella. You called one fucking time. That's all you tried!" I had to get out of here before I did something I might regret later on. As I got ready to leave I looked straight into her eyes. "And for your information, he got better you bitch!" And I strode out the door. I would just wait for Rose at the car. When I reached the parking lot I could see Masen running around the small playground across the street. He seemed to be having a blast. While I watched him play I remembered what he had said to me, "_Mommy missed you the most_."

Rosalie's POV

Alice stormed out the door and I was left alone with my sorry excuse for a sister-in-law. I guess it was now my turn to let the girl have it. I cleared my throat to bring her attention to me and then let it rip.

"Do you have any idea what you have done to my husband and father-in-law? You have damn near broken them with your selfishness. Alice wasn't lying – Emmet almost called off our wedding because of you. Your dad had to take him out fishing and talk him into going through with it. No one else could convince him. When they got back Em said the wedding was still on, but he never said a word about what they talked about. You broke their hearts when you fled the state and they continued to crumble every time you wouldn't make it home for something. They couldn't understand what was so bad here that you didn't even want to come back home for a visit. Then what you did to my siblings. Alice cried herself to sleep every night that first summer. She only came back to herself when Edward had the accident. You can't imagine how awful it was when he woke up thinking it was December. He walked around with pain and confusion in his eyes every day. He couldn't understand why you wouldn't come to visit him. He asked why he did to make you hate him so much that you wouldn't come see him. So we told him you moved to Texas, and then he asked why you never called." She cut into my rant here.

"I didn't know Rose. I didn't know what had happened until I called Alice and then she told me to stay away. Why didn't you call and tell me? Or Emmet?"

"Why would I call you?" I asked incredulously. "It was obvious you didn't give a rat's ass about anyone but yourself. If you had, you would have fucking called or something. But no, you went four years forgetting all of us Cullens. I would question Em when you would call, trying to find out if you ever asked about any of us. But you never did. And I stopped asking, or caring really. Whatever your reasoning was or is, I don't care. No matter what, I will never forgive you for what you have done to my family," and with that I walked out the door and headed to the parking lot. Alice was sitting on the trunk of the car watching our nephew play across the street. I sat next to her and we started working out a plan.

"Do we tell Edward?" Alice asked.

"Maybe we should tell mom and dad first," I suggested. I really did not want to be the one to tell Edward about his son. I didn't want to see the look in his eyes when he found out, and I definitely did not want to be the one to put that look there.

"That's a good idea Rose. I really don't want to tell him, especially not while he's on his trip." Edward had gone to New York for a psychology seminar last week and was not due back until this weekend. "And if we wait to tell him, there is always the chance that she will run back to Texas with Masen."

"Then it's settled. We tell dad first. Come on Ali, you text him on the way to the hospital so he's expecting us." With that worked out, we got in the car and headed to tell our dad the news.

Carlisle's POV

I just finished up my morning rounds and was about to take my lunch break. Before doing that though I decided to check in on Chief Swan. Emmet was sitting next to the bed when I entered, and it looked like he was in some serious pain. I hadn't seen him look like this since Bella ran away after high school. I tried to get him to tell me the problem, but he just said he was fine, so I let it be for now and headed towards my office. After a brief stop in there I would go to the cafeteria, but my plans changed when I got a text from my Alice.

**Hey dad Rose and I need to talk to you. Can we do lunch? R&A**

**For my girls, I always have time. Meet me in my office. Love, Dad**

About five minutes later my girls showed up, each looking just as upset as Emmet had. I had no idea that Bella coming back would bother them all so much. The girl was family as far as I was concerned. She was around so much that Esme and I unofficially adopted her as one of our own kids. And we loved her as if she was ours. Her mom had taken off when she was so little and Charlie and Emmet were left to pick up the slack and take care of a small girl, something neither of them knew a thing about. At first Charlie was taking the kids down to the reservation every day, but all that changed after Bella met my Alice. Then the two girls were almost inseparable. So Charlie started bringing the kids to our house instead. They were there so much the Swan children practically had their own rooms.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of having lunch with two of my favorite women?" I asked hoping to get a smile. I did, but the smiles were small and short lived.

I spent the next hour holding onto my girls as Rosalie told me everything and they cried. Rose was crying for the pain her husband was in and the pain her brother and Charlie would soon face. Alice cried for the loss of her friend and the lies that had been told. I wanted to cry myself, but I had to be strong for my girls. I still had to go home and tell Esme we had a grandson and then we had to tell Edward he was a father. This was not going to be an easy task. Everyone was going to be hurt and upset. But part of me wanted to cry for Bella. For the little girl I had known and the pain she must be in. The poor girl must feel so lost…

**I want to say thank you again to Dax. Life and work tend to get in the way of writing, but she is always supportive with her chapter ideas and thoughts and her encouragement to get me in gear. There truly would not be a story without her. So thanks Dax :D**

**Also, thank you to those readers who have stuck by us through the long waits and everything. And another thanks to those that review our chapters. Your words and thoughts are always appreciated. I am going to start working on the next chapter asap, so hopefully it will be up before too long.**

**Thanks again, Irish **


	10. Finding the Way Home

**It's been a while since I updated, but here is the next installment of the story. Standard disclaimer.**

**Chapter 10: Finding the Way Home**

**Bella POV:**

"_Here we go again. Another week has gone in this town. I miss the security of home. It's been over a week since the confrontation with Rosalie and Alice. I haven't heard anything from any of them since. Of course I see Carlisle at the hospital almost daily. But he's always on his way out or attending to another patient when I go visit Charlie. At least it comes off like that. But honestly, this way seems a lot better than I would expect. I wonder when the shit will hit the fan. As for Emmet and I… I really can't say much on that front. He barely ever crosses my path. I can't say I blame him, but it still hurts some. No one has said a word about Edward. I haven't even heard his name brought up. I'm sure he knows something by now, but no one says so who really knows?_

_Masen has gone up to the hospital with me to visit a few times. Occasionally we will happen upon Em or one of the Cullens while up there and they all have the same look. They look at Masen with this hopeful yet unbearably sad expression. It's starting to creep him out because he has no idea why they look at him like that. Emmet talks with him and seems to be enjoying getting to know his nephew some, but studiously ignores me as much as he can._

_Things in the hotel room here haven't been any better. My easy-going, always happy son is becoming quite the monster. He senses all the tension around and it is definitely not helping his disposition. Everywhere we go around town seems to be surrounded by a cloud of curiosity and suspense. Poor Jazz gets to feel the effects from both of us. He seems to feel helpless. He sees both of us suffering effects from all of this yet there is nothing he can do to relieve it. By Tuesday night I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't leave this place, but my boys could. I convinced Jasper to take Masen to Seattle for a few days. It wasn't the easiest task, let me tell you. Jazz didn't want to leave me alone 'at the mercy of the Cullens' as he put it. It took me over 12 hours, but I finally managed to make him see that it was in Masen's best interest. Wednesday afternoon my boys were off to Seattle to spend the rest of the week._

_The time out of the city certainly helped my little man, but it was torture for me. I don't even think I felt that completely alone when I moved to Texas. Jasper's concerns about the Cullens became nonsensical as every day went by and I heard nothing from any of them. Jasper seemed to think they were all out for my blood 'kinda like self-restrained vampires.' I didn't even ask him to explain how he came to that thought. Sunday night brought no change at all in the small town of Forks, but my little mad came back in more ways than one. While the separation was torture for me as this was my first ever time away from him, he thrived away from this environment. He was more like himself again. I cried when he jumped out of Jasper's eyes and told me how much he missed me. By the time Tuesday morning came around again I could see how much this place was getting to Masen."_ I sighed as I closed my journal.

"Hey Jazz I think we should go back home," I suggested Tuesday afternoon.

"But there's been no change with your dad hon. If we leave you're just going to worry and stress back home, I know you will. At least here you can be there when something changes. You can see him every day," was Jasper's insight into the problem.

"But look at how this place is affecting Masen. He is suffering because of a choice I made and it's getting to him. I don't want him upset more than need be. I will call the hospital every day to check on Charlie and when something changes I will be back out here on the first flight. I just want Masen to be his usual self, and that's not happening here," I argued.

"Alright, I see your point," he conceded. "What are you gonna tell your brother?"

"The same thing I just told you basically. He already hates me so what's one more reason?"

"I don't think he hates you Bell. He's been thrown a curveball he never saw coming and with that bitch of a wife of his and no news on your dad, I can't imagine he's dealing well right now. He'll come around. Everything you ever told me about your big brother pointed out that he didn't hold grudges and he loves you. Everything will work out Bell."

"I hope so. "

"So when do you want to head back home?" Jasper questioned.

"Well let's plan for Friday. That gives us enough time to pack everything back up, see Charlie a few more times and say bye to Em – if he even talks to me that is."

The rest of the week went just like the rest of the time we've been here. Tuesday night I sent Emmet a text instead of calling him (since I knew he likely wouldn't answer). I told him that we were going to leave on Friday so Masen could get back into his usual routine. I didn't get a response, but boy did I get some dirty looks Wednesday afternoon when I went to visit Charlie. Rose looked like she was ready to blow up at me so she had to leave while I was visiting. Em ignored me as usual so I talked to my dad a bit and then went back to the hotel.

Friday morning dawned and all three of us headed to the hospital to visit Charlie one more time. I reminded Masen about the rules for visiting grandpa like I did every time and sat him in the chair next to Charlie's bed. Dad was looking really good today. His color was almost normal and he didn't seem as weak. He was still out, but he just seemed stronger today. Everything was going fine until the door opened and I saw all of the Cullens plus my brother enter, along with a man I've never met before.

Carlisle was looking sad but determined. Esme stood next to her husband and had eyes only for Masen. Tears were filling up but she also seemed hopeful. Rosalie and Alice both had these evil, smug looks on their faces with the smirking smile to match. Emmet looked almost indifferent to everything. Then there was Edward. I could barely gaze at him because the fire coming from his eyes was going to scorch me hardcore. He was livid. And he was staring at me.

"Miss Isabella Swan?" the unknown man asked.

"Uh yeah, that's me," I replied hesitantly.

He stepped forward and handed me an envelope. "You've just been served Miss."

"What? What is this?" Jasper stepped up next to me and we looked over the papers together as the man left the room.

In the envelope were a handful of papers including notice of a lawsuit concerning the minor child Masen Anthony Swan, a bunch of legal jargon that I had no idea about, an order for DNA testing of Masen, and a temporary restraining order preventing me from leaving Forks with my son. Jasper was stiffening beside me as he read the papers as well. Wait a minute. This means I can't go home. We're stuck here…

**? POV:**

There was commotion all around me. So much noise… People were shouting at each other left and right.

"What the hell?" Bella screamed.

"Calm down Bell, we're still in the hospital hon," some guy was saying.

"Bella we couldn't let you leave. You have had all this time and we just want to get to know our grandson. We couldn't chance you taking him away again," Carlisle was explaining calmly.

"You guys all ignore us the entire time we're here and you pull this on the day we were going to head home? What is that Carlisle? You've had a chance to talk to me, to us, to figure this all out, but no… None of you wanted to bother. This place is not helping my son and I want to take him home where he can be happy again and back to his usual things…" Bella was ranting.

"Look here bitch," Rosalie started, "there's just no way you're taking off again and taking him with you."

"Language, Rosalie! There is a child present," Esme asserted. I could hear someone huff a bit, which I assume was Rosalie's response to being reprimanded.

There was a bit of an uproar again as Alice and Rose decided to team up against Bella and I couldn't tell what anyone was saying for a few minutes as everyone was trying to talk over everyone else.

"Everyone calm down!" Carlisle called.

"Emmet, did you know about this?" Bella asked.

"Yeah. I've known about the plan from the get-go," he plainly answered.

"What the hell Em? You couldn't warn me, give me a head's up, nothing?" There was no answer to that. "I'm your sister Em. How can you just toss me to the wolves here?"

"My sister? Yeah, blood dictates that you are my sister. But you haven't been a part of my family since you left. You just took off and washed your hands of all of us and anything having to do with home. Edward and the Cullens are my family too now and they've been more family to me than you have. So yeah, I'm with them on this. You've had that boy, my nephew, for three years and never said a word. What you did was worse than Renee. She may have left us but at least we knew she existed! All you've thought about was yourself! Well now you have to take the consequences of your selfish actions," Emmet spat at his sister.

I couldn't take it anymore. I had to step in. They shouldn't be fighting like this. I tried to call out to get them to stop but my voice was weak and couldn't be heard over the renewed yelling. There had to be a way. I opened my eyes and saw everyone squared off. No one was paying any attention to me, but I saw a food tray on the table next to me. I reached out and managed to knock against the table, which caused the cup sitting on the tray to topple over and crash to the ground along with whatever liquid had been inside it. Everyone stopped at that and turned their shocked faces to look at me. Good, I finally have the undivided attention of every person in the room.

"Stop fighting," I called out weakly. My voice was hardly louder than a whisper but it had the desired effect. Carlisle rushed to my side while the rest stayed stock still and quiet.

**I know it's been a long time coming and I thank everyone for their patience and encouragement. As always, a special thank you to dax :D Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.**


	11. In Interim

**As always, the standard disclaimer applies. See below for author's note…**

Chapter 11: In Interim

_Previously:_

_I couldn't take it anymore. I had to step in. They shouldn't be fighting like this. I tried to call out to get them to stop but my voice was weak and couldn't be heard over the renewed yelling. There had to be a way. I opened my eyes and saw everyone squared off. No one was paying any attention to me, but I saw a food tray on the table next to me. I reached out and managed to knock against the table, which caused the cup sitting on the tray to topple over and crash to the ground along with whatever liquid had been inside it. Everyone stopped at that and turned their shocked faces to look at me. Good, I finally have the undivided attention of every person in the room._

"_Stop fighting," I called out weakly. My voice was hardly louder than a whisper but it had the desired effect. Carlisle rushed to my side while the rest stayed stock still and quiet._

Carlisle POV

_(In his office, waiting for his family before entering Charlie's hospital room.)_

The past two weeks have been hell. There's just no other way to put it. After that lunch with my girls I called the hospital informing them that there was an emergency and I wouldn't be back in for the rest of the day and then headed straight home. Esme's car was in the drive so I knew she was around the house somewhere. I remember taking a few deep breaths before getting out of my car to inform her of our grandson.

She took the news well considering how much of a shock it all was. She cried, of course, for not knowing there was a little boy out there related to us and we never knew. She cried harder when we called Edward.

"_Hey dad," Edward answered on the third ring._

"_Edward. How is the seminar going?"_

"_It's great dad! I've been to some very interesting panels and gotten to make some awesome contacts. And New York? I love it here! It's so busy! There's always something going on around here. I'm thinking about extending my trip some and playing tourist when the seminar is over," I had to cut him off here._

"_Edward, I really don't think that's a good idea," I took a deep breath and wondered how much information I could give him to make sure he came home on time, without giving it all up. "There's some important stuff going on around here and you really should come home right after the seminar ends."_

"_What's up? Is everyone ok?" He sounded panicked._

"_Everyone is doing fine son. As we mentioned before, Charlie got hurt and he's still in a coma," he cut me off here._

"_That sucks dad. How's Emmet taking it?"_

"_He's stressed – as expected – but doing alright. But something's come up and we just need you to come home so we can all deal with it," I tried._

"_Dad… What's the deal? Not that I don't feel for Emmet, but what can I do there that I can't do over the phone? I can call and give him the support he needs without having to be there."_

"_That's not all of it Edward," I sighed. "Bella is here too and…"_

"_I really don't care about her one way or another dad, you know this. You want me to come home just because Bella is there?" he asked incredulously._

"_I," Esme was mouthing 'just tell him' to me. I guess it's the only way to get him back here on time. "I really didn't want to have to tell you this over the phone…" I closed my eyes and forced myself to say the words. "Bella came back home and she's not alone," and he cut me off again._

"_So she's got a boyfriend with her. I really could care less…"_

"_Edward! That's not it. As I said, she's not alone. Yes there is a man here with her but that's not the point. She has a little boy with her," and he cut me off. Again._

"_I don't see what this has to do with me dad. So she has a boyfriend and a son, big deal…"_

"_Damn it Edward! I'm trying to tell you that the boy is yours!" Okay, so I lost my temper just a bit. Esme smacked my arm and I heard a gasp on the other end of the line. "Son? I'm sorry I just yelled it out like that. I wanted you to come home and tell you in person, not over the phone, and then you just wouldn't let me say it and…"_

"_Are you sure he's mine? What makes you say that?" he asked angrily._

"_Well, from what your sisters say he looks just like you. His name is Masen Anthony and he's three years old," there wasn't much else I could tell him as I haven't spent any time around the boy myself. "Edward? Are you there? Are you okay?"_

"_No. I'm very far from okay. How could that bitch not tell me?" he screamed._

"_I'm sure she had some reason son. Why don't you calm down a bit? There's no point in working yourself up while you're across the country. You need to come home so we can all figure out what to do."_

"_I'll be there," he assured me. "I'll take the first flight out after the last panel ends"_

"_I'm sorry Edward. I…" I didn't really know what else to say. There were no words I could think of to comfort him at this time._

"_It's alright dad. I'll be home soon and we'll deal with it. Give my love to mom and I'll see you guys soon."_

"_Alright. I love you son," I sighed._

"_You too dad. Bye."_

That was not a fun conversation. Edward did make it home that weekend and we had a family meeting to discuss the issue of Bella and Masen. Rose and Alice, of course, were very vocal about getting back at Bella. Emmet was torn – he was angry at Bella for hiding Masen from all of us, but she is still his sister and he had a hard time listening to the girls badmouth and plot against her.

Esme and I were more calm and subdued. Yes, it kills us that we have a three year old grandson that we have no knowledge of, but both of us feel for Bella. There had to be a reason behind her actions and we were willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and explain it all. We still loved her like one of our own children even though, yes, we were disappointed in her actions and decisions. Esme just wanted to meet the boy and get to know him.

Edward, he was livid. He ranted and raved for over two hours about the injustice of it all. He is the one who decided to contact a lawyer and start proceedings against Bella without even talking to her. He actually had the appointment already set up before he even got home.

Esme and I went with Edward to the lawyer's office a few days after the family meeting and we met with a man by the name of Jenks. Mr. Jenks listened to Edward's description of the situation and allowed Esme and I to throw our opinions in. At the end, Edward decided to start the suit against Bella. Mr. Jenks suggested the DNA test clause, to be 100% positive the child is Edward's, and the temporary restraining order to prevent her departure in the event she wants to go back to Texas. Edward immediately agreed and Mr. Jenks got to work on all the paperwork. He assured Edward that Bella would be receiving notice of the proceeding soon through a process server, and Edward suggested she be served at the hospital since he knew she was frequently there to see Charlie. Just before we left, Mr. Jenks recommended that we have as little contact with Bella as possible for the time being. He didn't want to risk her catching wind of the suit, getting spooked and running off with Masen.

The next few days came and went with everyone tense and waiting to see what would happen. The girls were hoping Edward would try to take custody of Masen away from Bella. Esme and I were vocal about that not happening. No matter what Bella has done, the child should not be punished by losing his mother – the only parent he's ever known. Alice huffed and Rose pitched a fit when we told her that. She yelled about how much of a 'bitch' Bella is and that she has no right to keep that boy since she hid him all this time. We tried to explain that yes, what she did was wrong, but taking Masen away from her would punish him and that no matter what, Bella did not deserve to lose her child. That argument ended with Rose storming out of the house with Emmet tensely following behind her. Their relationship was seeming more strained with each passing day. I sincerely hoped they were able to put everything aside for the sake of their marriage.

Edward agreed that taking custody of Masen was not what he wanted to happen. He just wanted rights to his son. He's been pulling more and more away from the family and inside himself as the time passes. His eyes show anger, pain, confusion, and several other hard to define emotions. I think he's having a difficult time connecting Bella's deception to the girl he was once friends with.

Esme has drawn up plans and begun working on transforming one of the guest rooms in the house to a room for Masen. Without knowing what he likes and is interested in, she has just decided on plain colors and furniture for now, though she says she will add some sort of mural later on when she finds out where his interest lie. This is how she decided to deal with the stressful situation, and I cannot fault her for it. It keeps her sane and relatively happy, so I support and encourage her in her endeavor.

As for myself, I do not like the way this is turning out, but I really have little say. This is Edward's child so therefore it is his decision on how to proceed. I wish he would have tried having a talk with her first, but he wanted to go the lawyer route. I can only see this method producing more distrust and hard feelings between the families. And I hope that Charlie can wake up and help his daughter deal with all of this since it appears she has no one but the friend she brought with her on her side to support her through it all.

I glanced at my watch and noticed it was time to go. My whole family was meeting up outside Charlie's hospital room today to see Bella get served. They all wanted to be there for various reasons: Rose and Alice to get the chance to speak their minds and watch Bella's reaction; Emmet to support his wife and see his father; Edward to come face to face with Bella and see Masen; and Esme and myself to try to limit the fallout. I turned the corner to see everyone in the hallway with the man I assumed was the process server. I nodded to the man and reached out to open the door while taking a deep breath to brace myself for what was about to happen.

Here we go…

**I give my most sincere apologies for the long wait for an update to this story. I have had a major block in writing this or anything else for a long time, and was finally able to get this chapter out with constant support and all good stuffs from dax. I am hoping that this will be the end of my blockage and will strive to get an update posted every 1-2 weeks.**

**Thank you to all the readers that are still with us even after this long break. And to any new readers happening upon this story, I hope you enjoy it. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and we'll see you again next time :D**


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